Horse Play - A Pictorial

When I first got Ritz, my white shepherd, he took a hankering to chasing the horses.  I don't remember how long it was before he was kicked in the mouth and lost a couple teeth.  So he keeps a respectful distance, though the herding instinct is pretty strong.  When I go out to pasture, he knows that it is Windy who I usually fetch and he always tries to cut her out of the herd for me.  She ignores him mostly.  When I ride the roads around here, Windy, Ritz and I are a team.  So he is really no threat to her.  

Today has been a weird weather day.  Hazy and humid and then windy and cold.  At one point, the sun was shining and it was raining; yes, at the same time.  The sky was dark with clouds so with the dogs in tow, I wondered out to the pasture to take some pictures.  

It wasn't long before Ritz had Windy's attention.  While the other horses grazed around them, she chased him and he chased her.  Even our St. Bernard, Bo, got in on the fun for awhile.  Never moving from my spot, I snapped pictures as she weaved in and out of the herd, sometimes in pursuit of Ritz and sometimes the other way around.  

I love the expressions on Windy's face and her body language as she plays.  

Windy is sizing Ritz up.  He is pretending like he doesn't notice.  

And they're off....

The big pounce in his Ritz's direction.  He is just off site of the camera.  

Ritz and Windy weaved through the herd; the others barely looked up from eating.  

Quite a dance!

Bo joins the game.  Windy looks to be saying, "You want a little of this, too?"

She is done.  Look how quickly she dismisses the dogs.  

As Windy goes back to her resting position, right hind leg cocked, it is now Butter's turn 

I never rode today, but watching the horses at play was just as fun.  

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